Shut the Front Door

Doors are more than a gateway between rooms, arriving home or hiding the vacuum. While many homes in our neck of the woods sport the traditional six panels, that doesn’t mean this design component doesn’t deserve some attention for certain applications or when building new.

A few things that make a quality door are solid materials that help reduce noise, a heavier weight that provides that nice feel when it opens and closes and materials that will last. There is something about hearing a nice solid click when a good door closes.

Exterior doors:

Entry doors are like an ambassador to a home; providing a welcome statement and a cohesion to the architecture and the style. A new side entry door can provide extra light and casual feel, while a horizontal lay-out compliments the contemporary statement on a new entry we created (above). We like working with Simpson Door company and like the option to purchase doors in a variety of wood species and sizes. Below is is an example of a door we replaced in a queen Anne Victorian to the side porch in Newton. We used quarter sawn oak to match the existing millwork.

Interior Doors:

There are many options for style; and, depending on your need and space the choice of French doors, sliding doors, barn doors, pocket doors and jib doors. The word jib door has come up a few times this spring with clients and may end up being this year’s top request.

Sliding, pocket or barn doors are great options when you don’t have the space to open doors into a room or you have a wide opening. The upside is either hiding it away or of course, making your barn door statement. The down side of the pocket door is that they are difficult to repair down the road and offer little noise buffering because they are hanging lose and can transmit sound. If this is a must have, make sure the hardware used is high quality and you should be OK on the maintenance.

The jib door may be one that isn’t often seen, but should be considered as an elegant and streamlined option and even a bit of a surprise when opened. The lack of exposed hardware is what sets them apart from a traditional door. While left plain they can be quite modern you can also have decorative detail added to blend with other millwork in the room.

This is a picture we probably over share, but the color! In this case it helps describe where the changing room is for guests… “turn left, and look for the orange door”.  Obviously, there is no limit to the colors that make an impact or exude personality so we encourage homeowners to take risk when they feel the urge- doors are easy and fast to repaint when the mood strikes you. If you want to complete the look… the hardware will also help do the talking.